March 2024
ertonline.co.uk
Manufacturers are great at producing products and retailers are great at selling them. It’s a shame when manufacturers believe they can shortcut traditional retail.
Sitting down at the CIH central office –
its 100,000sq ft warehouse and offices in Andover – Mr Tyler chats exclusively to ERT Editor, Jack Cheeseman, about his time as CEO so far and how the buying group has developed in recent years. “CIH is going from strength to strength
providing invaluable support to its members and agents, ensuring they can compete with the multi-nationals,” he says. “Euronics is a name that people recognise and this allows our members to use that brand equity as well as their own family heritage and reputation to attract customers.
“Our members and agents are exceptional at what they do. They can be efficient and competitive but stay true to their core values.”
Indeed, at the end of last year Euronics was endorsed as a Which? Recommended Provider (WRP) after members received an overall score of 88 per cent, taking first place in the Best Home Appliance Store table. CIH has been increasing its reach in recent years, not only thanks to a major sponsorship deal with UEFA Women’s Football and its continuing relationship with TV presenter Nick Knowles, but the most notable change is its redeveloped website. Each member has its own unique microsite that is connected to the central database so any consumer anywhere in the UK can enter their postcode and see what products are available to them. The group is currently gearing up to host its annual Showcase event at the NEC Birmingham, which brings members together under one roof with products from more than 50 brands on display. Last year
the show
enjoyed a record number of visitors, and as Mr Tyler explains, he’s hoping for another successful event in April… “We are the victims of our own success as it would appear that one day isn’t enough for
many of our members, so they’ve told us they are expecting to spend both show days with us. I’m really excited about that.” There will be an ideal store set-up with examples of fixtures, fittings, plinths and stands to display product, and an array of promotional tools designed to drive footfall and boost online engagement. The speakers’ area will return this year in the Euronics Garden, plus there’s the business hub where members can drop in for support, queries or a chat. The CIH members’ area will be bigger this year and the show itself has grown in size, Mr Tyler reveals. Members will also be able to meet Indie, the Euronics penguin mascot; he’ll be making several appearances around the show and hanging out in the Peng’win bowling alley. “We are hoping everyone will be very impressed by the show and we are hoping everyone will feel very proud,” adds Mr Tyler. “The standards that the suppliers deliver are incredible – it’s a shame that it’s only on for two days!”
Q&A
Q: How would you reflect on your first two years at CIH? Paul Tyler: We have made good progress and we are growing. We are still sitting 38 per cent ahead of our pre-pandemic figures, but that’s due to the great work by our internal teams and the members themselves. One of the challenges we face as a buying
group is staying relevant to 450 different businesses – the profiles of which vary a lot. We definitely keep an eye on new trends and opportunities, but we also have that core range of products that works across the breadth of membership. We are always encouraging change and diversification. For example we added our new IT category which we thought would >>
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The 2023 Showcase event at the NEC
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